Brush and beater roll for vacuum cleaners



1951 F. o. SKIDMORE 2,574,128

BRUSH AND BEATER ROLL FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Jan. 25, 1949 INVENTOR. v FIG.3 FRANK OR ENSKIDMORE BYG ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 6,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRUSH AND BEATER; ROLE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Frank Oren Skidmore, Guyahoga Falls; Ohio Application January 25, 1949,: Serial No., 72,683

1 v Claim.

This invention relates to sweeper rollers for use with electric vacuum sweepers, especially to the particular type of beater element used on such sweeper rollers.

One of the best known types of sweeper rollers used on vacuum cleaners at the present time is that shown in Patent No. 1,918,432 wherein a plurality of resilient brush members are carried by the roller and a beater member also extends spirally around thesurface of the roller. This beater member is of a rigid, inflexible construction and its size must be carefully controlled since, among other reasons, the rigid beater member, if too large, would produce undesired vibration and also might-tearor produce appreciable wear on the surfaceof a rug when used. Of course if the rigid beater element were too small, thenit would have no beneficial beater action. In all events, it is diflicult to obtain the maximum beating action desired under difierent operating conditions by the use of a rigid beater member. Hence numerous efforts have heretofore been made to provide a more flexible or yielding beater element which could: then be of a larger size than the rigid elementheretofore used. These flex-iblebeater members usually have been of such aconstruction or have-been secured to a sweeper roller so that. they would be flexible only in one direction: and frequently have used some type of a pivotedconnection to the roller by whichyiel'd ing' movement in one direction can be obtained. Thus tosecure the desired yielding action, such means must be used or rotated in onepredetermined direction. Other types of heaters heretofore, prqpused. have suggested the use of resilient rubber beaters. Such resilient heaters have poor-aging: properties and are of relatively weak construction or are: light weight so that they do not fprm. a. desired beater or do not give. proper action. Likewise the flexibility 0i s me may give them a relatively poor, beater lation.

It the general object of the present. invention. to avoid and overcome.- the: foregoing. and other difliculties with previous; types of: sweeper beaters and to provide a novel, effective sweeper beater which is: characterized by the uniformity and efficiency of the beater action obtained regardless Off the direction, of; mtatiun of the. Miller niw ic zthe beater i n9sitioned:-.

Another, obie of. the. invention is to provide a hinged type of a beater for a sweeper roller wherein the beating action is improved by providing a concentration of Weight in the free edge portion of the beater member. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive, uncomplicated type of a beater member fora sweeper roller wherein the beater member is adapted to give a long service life with a minimum of maintenance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sweeper roller with a pivotally mounted solid beater element adapted to provide an automatic, efiicient beating action by centrifugal forces regardl'ess of the direction of rotation of the sweeper roller.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Attention is now directed to the accompanying drawingswherein one embodiment. of the invention: is" illustrated in detail, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partially broken away andshown in section, of the head portion of a vacuum cleaner showing a sweeper roller positioned therein;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of" the sweeper roller of Fig. 1 separate from the remainder of the mechanism: and

Fig. 3- is a vertical cross sectional elevation taken on: line 3-3 of Fig. 2- but with only one beater member being shown in the section and with the remaining beatersof thesweeper roller being eliminated-for clarity.

In describing the present' invention, corresponding reference numerals will be used in thedrawings and im the specification-to indicate corre spondingparts:

Now referring to the details of' the structure shown in the drawings, a conventional electric vacuum sweeper head or operative section I is shown which iscarried by a plurality of'wheel's- 2 and includes a sweeper roll'er'i'ndicated generally by the numeral 3. A flexible drive belt 4 is engaged with the sweeper roller 3' for rotating or driving same and this belt- 4 is driven byconventional' means; (not shown) whereby the sweeper head can: be used to pick up dirt and" other debris on the surface over which the head I is moved.

Fig. 2. best showsthe sweeper: roller 3' and indicates; that; a plurality of sweeper bristles" 5 are secured" in; any conventional manner to and ex: tend from the peripheryrof a cylindrical memher, or support sleeve- 6 which forms the frame of" the: sweeper roller- 3:. Usually the=brist1ess 5 are. arranged in. a. plurality of groups or tufts which; extend" substantially helicallit across. the

surface of the support sleeve 6. In this instance, two series of bristle tufts are provided on spaced longitudinal portions of the support sleeve 6. Usually a center, annular recess 1 is provided edge, or free edge of the beater, the metallicplate used in forming the beater is curled back around upon itself to forming a substantially tubular end section ID for the beater so that the free edge portion of the beater is of relatively heavier unit area construction than is the remaining portion of the beater. Such a construction facilitates the beater action obtained by use of centrifugal forces exerted on the beater element of the invention. In some instances, it may even be desirable to add extra weight elements .or means to the beater at or adjacent the free edges thereof to achieve this desired construction. It also should be noted that the external surfaces of the beater elements adjacent the edges l thereof are of relatively smooth contour and this again facilitates and aids in obtaining .smooth engagement between the beaters and any carpet or other article with which the, beaters are associated for cleaning same.

As another salient feature of the present invention, the beaters 8 are adapted to be pivotally secured to the support sleeve 6 for pivotal movement of substantially 180 degrees in extent. To this end, a plurality of support plates H are secured to the surfaces of the support sleeve 8 by cap screws I! with the support plates l I being spaced longitudinally of the sweeper roller 3 and being also spaced from each other around the circumference of the support sleeve 6. Fig. 2

shows that a plurality of hinged eyelets iii are formed along one edge of each of the support plates I l in longitudinally spaced relationship to each other whereby a conventional hingepintle I4 may be engaged with each associated pair of hinged eyelets 9 and I3, which are formed complementary to each other whereby the beaters 8 can be pivotally secured to the individual support plates II. It should be noted-that the longitudinal axes of the hinge pintles I4 and of the beaters and support plates are arranged parallel with the longitudinal axis of the support sleeve 6. Flat portions 15 are angularly staggered in helical relationship to provide recesses in the roller member 6 to receive the support plates II, as indicated in Fig. 3. The angle of the helix of the recess is substantially the same as the angle of the helix of the tufts 5.

It will be realized that the support sleeve 6 can be secured to the head I in any desired manner and shaft means 16 are shown provided on the sweeper roller for journalling same on the head I.

From the foregoing description it should be readily apparent that the beaters 8 will automatically be flung outwardly by centrifugal force when the sweeper roller 3 is rotated by the belt 4. Furthermore, regardless of the direction of rotation of the sweeper roller 3, the beaters 8 will be adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom and give a desired beating action for material contacting the sweeper roller. It also should be 4 noted that the beaters extend farther from the surface of the support sleeve than do the bristles 5 in this embodiment of the invention.

The plates 8 may be made from any desired material but usually are metallic to give desired beating action and a long service life. The beaters may be arranged in any desired manner on the surface of the sleeve 6.

' The support sleeve 6', orroller member of the sweeper roller, may be formed from any suitable material and its position with relation to the surface of the article being cleaned need not be as carefully controlled as if a fixed beater member were used. Of course the sweeper roller may be used on any kind of a cleaning device that is powdered in any desired manner, even to being manually operated.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: p 7

In a sweeper, a cylindricalroller member, said roller member having a plurality of longitudinally spaced flat portions providing recesses on the outer periphery thereof, said flat portions being angularly staggered in a substantially helical relationship, helically arranged rows of bristle tufts secured to the roller member and extending radially therefrom, the angle of the helix of the recesses being substantially equal to the angle of the helix of the tufts, a plurality of support plates, one ofthe plates being secured to the roller member in each of the recesses whereby the support plates are secured substantially within the outer circumference of the roller member, eyelets integrally formed in spaced relationship along one edge -of each support plate, a plurality of beater plates, eyelets integrally formed in spaced relationship along one edge of each beater plate, and a plurality of hinge pintles, a pintle being secured in said eyelets for hingedly engaging a beater plate to each support plate, said eyelets and pintles being axially parallel to the longitudinal'axis of the roller member, the free edge of each beater plate parallel to the pintle being rolled to form a substantially tubular section of a length substantially equal to the length of the pintle.

FRANK OREN SmDMORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,064,856 Riebel Dec. 22, 1936 2,064,857 Riebel Dec. 22, 1936 2,085,700 Kitto June 29, 1937 2,242,678 Riebel May 20, 1941 2,421,235 Basinger May 27, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 231,724 Germany Feb. 24, 1911 388,967 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1933 840,333 France Apr. 24, 1939 

